Tobacco drying and cooling system.



No. 69u23.V

(Application Bled Apr. 10, 1901.)

Sheets-Sheet l.

(No Model.) l

Illll IH U|INI||HH IIIIIIIIIHIIIIIM N0. 69|, 723.` I Patened lan. 2l," |902. W. E. MARTIN.

TOBACCO DRYING AND CDGLING SYSTEM.

(Appnmion mea Apr. 1o, 1901.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

m: Noam: Putas' no.. maremma., wAsnmmu-n. c.

Nn. 69I,723.' Patented lan. 2l, i902.

y w. E. MARTIN. "r'oBAcco DRYING AND couLlNG SYSTEM.

(Application led Apr.y 10, 1901.) y (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

Unirrsnl STATES PATENT Ormese WI'IITLEY E. MARTIN, OF SALEM, NORTH CAROLINA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO SALEM IRON WORKS, OF SALEM, NORTH CAROLINA, A CORPORATION or NORTH CAROLINA.

TOBACCO DRYING AND COOLING SYSTEM.

SPECIFECATKON formingpart of Letters Patent N o. 691,723, dated January 21, 1902. Application iiledApril 10,1901. Serial No. 55,196. (No model.)

To all whom it' may concern:

Be it known that I, WHITLEY E. MARTIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Salem, in the county of Forsyth and State of North Carolina, have invented new and useful Improvements in Tobacco Drying and Cooling Systems, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvementsin tobacco drying and cooling systems, although the same is applicable for use in connectionwith the drying and cooling of sugar, pottery-ware, or other substances. f

The invention aims to provide a drying and cooling system by which the tobacco or other substances to be dried and cooled may be edected more erpeditiously and regularly than by the mode now in general use, the operation of the system being such that the workmen are not required to enter the drying or cooling'tunnels or chambers, more par- A ticularly the drying tunnelor chamber in which the heat is usually at a temperature of 160 or more, making it positively unendurable.

The invention further aims to provide a drying and cooling system by which the t0- bacco or other substance to be cooled and dried may be affected in a thorough and complete manner and, furthermore, to overcome the passage of the cooled and dried tobacco through the softening rooinor tunnel in a continuous manners-that is to say, that the majority of the tobacco dried and cooled is in most cases a finished product and itis not 'necessary to transfer all of the tobacco into the softening-room, as after thepassage of itk through the drying and cooling rooms it is approximately but from five to ten per cent. thereof which is required to be softened. Therefore the tobacco to be softened can be pushed-manually into the softening-room, which'is arranged adjacent to the drying and cooling tunnel, while the finished product can be transferred to any desired point.

L A further object in arranging the softeningroom adjacent to the drying and cooling f room or tunnel so that all of the tobaccoor other substance will not be passed there- 5o i through is the .economizing in floor-space, which is a material advantage in plants or systems of this character.

The invention further aims to provide a new and improved means for controlling the movement of the cars containing the tobacco or other substance through the drying and cooling rooms or tunnelthat is to say, a means for propelling the cars at suitable speed, so the cars will remain within the tun- 6o nel or rooms the requisite period and the opa eration of drying and cooling the contents of thev cars will be complete.

The invention further aims to provide a traveling cage for transferring the'cars of 65 tobacco orother substance to .the dryingtunnel, the cage being adapted to aline with the receiving end of thedryingftunnel and so constructed that when the car of tobacco or other substance is transferred from the 7o cage to the tunnel the hot-air within the latter will be prevented from escaping. The

`cage not only prevents the escape of hot-air from the tunnel, but also dispenses with the vestibule generally employed at the receiving 7 5 end of. the tunnel,thereby economizing in floor-space for the plant. j.

The invention further 'aims to construct cooling and drying rooms or tunnel in such a manner as to efficiently dry and cool the con- 8o tents of the cars passing through the same; furthermore, to provide a plant for drying and cooling tobacco or other substances,which shall be extremely simple in its construction,H strong, durable, efficient in its use, .and oomparatively inexpensive to set up; and it consists ofthe novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more specifically described, illustrated inthe accompanying', drawings, and particularly pointed out in the go claims hereunto appended.

In describing the invention in detail reference is had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, wherein like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views, and in whichp Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section taken through the drying and cooling chambers of my improved drying system. Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view of my drying system. Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic plan of my drying system. Fig. 4 is a transverse section taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a transverse vertical section taken on the line 5 5 of Fig. 1. Fig.'6 is a similar section taken on the line 6 6, Fig. 1; and Fig. 7 is a detail View of a modified form of construction for propelling the cars through the tunnel.

Referring to the drawings by reference-numerals, 1 indicates the drying room or tunnel, having each of the side walls, near the bottom thereof, formed with a series of inletopenings 2 and the top wall with a series of vertically extending outlet pipes 3, which communicate with the interior of the drying room or tunnel at their lovrer end and at their top with the discharge-pipe 4. The latter is closed at one end, and at its opposite end opens into the atmosphere.

The reference-numeral 4 denotesasuctionfan mounted in the open end of the dischargepipe 4. The fau 4a is supported upon the operating-shaft 4*', journaled in the standards 4, mounted upon the top of the drying room or tunnel 1.

Surrounding the sides and top oi' the drying room or tunnel 1 is a heating-chamber 5, having arranged therein a series of heating-pipes 6 in suitable communication with a source of supply.

The reference-numeral 5a denotes an offset from the dryingchamber and forming the bottom for the hot-air chamber. The function of the offset is to keep the operatingshaft, to be hereinafter described, outside of the hot-air chamber to prevent the expansion of the shaft and for convenience in oiling, repairs, rbc.

The pipes G surround the drying room or tunnel, with the exception of the bottom thereof, and the outlet-pipes 3 extend through the top of the heating-chamber and communicate, as stated above, with the dischargepipe 4, the latter being arranged above the heating-chamber 5.

Arranged at the receiving and discharge ends of the drying chamber or tunnel 1 are a pair of uprights 8 8, having the doors 8l? 8c, connected by means of the spring-hinges 8d 8e 8f 8g, respectively. The doors at the receiving end open within and the doors at the discharge end open away from the tunnel. The lower hinges 8fi 8f are located immediately over the operating-shaft (to be hereinafter described) and the upper hinges 8e 8g are located near the top of the uprights; but the edge of the door 8" near the operatingshaft is about two inches from the center of the pivot-pin of the hinges 8d 80, and consequently the door 8l is not required to open fully at a right angle. (See dotted lines.) The doors 8b are not as Wide as the doors 8C, for the reason that the narrow door is on the side of the tunnel near the operating-shaft seines and opens toward the worm-screws. (Hereinafter described.) Constructing the doors 8b narrower than the doors 8 saves room in the length of the apparatus and also allows a worm-screw (hereinafter described) to be placed near the ends of the drying-tunnel. The door 8, which is provided with a lapstrip 8, should be the last door to shut, and such operation is obtained by constructing the doors in the manner as above described.

The reference-numeral 9 denotes an opening arranged near the receiving end of the drying-tunnel.

The reference-numeral 11 denotes a vestibule which is arranged at the discharge end of the tunnel 1 and has its side Walls formed With the openings 12 and further provided With a pair of spring-actuated doors 13, opening toward the cooling room or tunnel 14. The doors 13 are constructed and connected in the same manner as the doors 8b 8C.

The cooling room or tunnel 14 is arranged in alinement with the tunnel 1, with its discharge end open, and provided near its inner end in one side thereof with an opening 14. The cooling room or tunnel 14 communicates with the heating-chamber 5 by means of the conduit 16, communicating at one end with the cooling-room, as at 17, and at its opposite end with the chamber 5, as at 18. The top of the vestibule 11 forms the bottom of the conduit 16 and hasmounted thereon a support 19, in which is journaled the shaft 20, carrying the suction-fan 21. The shaft 20 projects through one end of the conduit 16 and carries the pulley 22, connected by the belt 23 to the pulley 23 of the power-shaft 24. Extending longitudinally through the drying and cooling tunnels and the vestibule 11is a main track 25.

At one side of the tunnels 1 and 14 is a pair of auxiliary longitudinally-extending tracks 26 27, the former extending through the softening-room 28. Arranged atthe ends of the tracks 25, 26, and 27 are the horizontally-extending transfer-tracks 28 29, the former provided with a traveling cage 30, having an opening 31 in one of its side walls and the latter provided with a transferring-truck The reference-numeral 33 denotes the cars for carrying the tobacco or other substance through the tunnels and which are adapted to travel upon the various tracks and are each provided on one side with the toothed rack 34, or instead of the rack a pair of antifriction rollers 35 are secured one at each end of the side of the car, as shown in Fig. 7. The cars may be provided with the racks or crates 36 for retaining upon them the tobacco or othersubstance; but other forms o f retaining means may be employed, if desired.

The reference-numeral 37 denotes a longitudinally-extending drive-shaft arranged at one side of tunnels 1 and 14 and the vestibule, and Which is provided with Worm-screws 38, 39, 40, 41, and 42. lThe Worm-screw 38 is adapted to extend into the traveling cage 30 IOn through the opening 31. The worm-screw 39 extends into the drying room or tunnel 1 through the opening 9, the Worm-screws 40 41 extending into the vestibule 11 through the openings 12, and the worm-screw 42 extending into the cooling room ortunnel 14 through the opening 14'. When the cars are provided with the antifriction-rollers 35, the worms 39a, (only one shown in Fig.`7,) which engages therewith for propelling the cars, are adapted to be substantially'the length of a car. The driving-shaft 37 is supported in suitable bearings and has mounted upon one end a pulley 43, connected by a belt 44 to the pulley 45 of the power-shaft 24. The shaft 4b of the fan 4a carries a pulley 46, connected to the drive-pulley 47 upon the power-shaft 24 by means of the belt 48.

- The operation of the plant is as follows: The cars being loaded with the substance to be dried and cooled, they are then transferred one at a time from either track 26 or 27 to the traveling cage 30 upon the track 28. The cage, with the car, is then pushed against the drive-shaft 37, and the rack or pulley upon the car meshes with the Worm-screw 38, and the shaft 37 being operated the car will be propelled against the doors 8b 8c, forcing the latter open. The cage 30 is so constructed that when brought into alinement with the drying-tunnel it will form a closure for. the receiving end thereof, so that when the car containing the tobacco or other substance is forced through the doors the cage will prevent the escape of hot air from the tunnel. As soon as the doors are fully opened the front end of the rackof the. car or forward pulley or roller 35 will engage with the screw 39 or 39, the latter propelling the car until `it has screwed the rack or pulleys out of reach, and at this point the car is in the drying-room at rest, the doors automatically closing at the rear of the car. The cage 30 is then moved back by hand in alinement with either of the tracks 26 27, when another car is moved therein, and the cage is then pushed against the drive-shaft 37, so that the screw 38 will mesh with the rack of the car. The shaft being in suitable motion, the car will be forced against and through the doors into the drying` room or tunnel 1 against the car therein and shove the latter forward a distance equal to its length. The foregoing operation is repeated as many times as there are cars allotted for the drying room or tunnel, accordingto the capacity of the drier, which would be ordinarily from.

two to six cars. As soon as th/e drying-room has become iilled with cars and there is another car forced against the screw 38 the car is propelled against the last car and moved into the drying room or tunnel 1. The cars in the latter, with the exception of the head car, are propelled a distance equal to their length, while the head car is moved about four inches, forcing the doors open, and has its rack engaged bythe worm 40, propelling the car into the vestibule 11, engaging the worm-screw 41, forcing the car through the doors 13, engaging the Worm-screw 42, propelling the car into the cooling-room. The doors close behind the car. at rest in the cooling-room and the foregoing operation is repeated until the cooling-room is filled with cars. The cooling-room being now lled with cars, every time a car is taken from the cage by means of the worm-screw 38 and as that car comes into the forward or entrance end of the drying-room the head car in the drying room or tunnel is forced against the doors of the vestibule, thence through the vestibule into the cooling-room, against the rear carin the coolingroom, and

The car is then.

pushes all the cars in the cooling-room the length of a car forward, which puts one car outside of the cooling-room, there being space enough between the end` of the cooling room or tunnel and the track 29 for three or four cars. After the cars leave the cooling-room they are shoved upon the transfer-truck 32 on track 29 by the operator. The car is then transferred to the track 26, if the substance carried thereby needs softening, and the car upon the track 26 is moved to the softeningroom by hand, thus overcoming the continuous passing of the cars through the softening-room from the drying-room, which is the mode now generally used. By this arrangement I overcome the passage of all the cars through the softening-room, as when the tobacco is properly dried there is only from live to ten per cent. thereof which needs softening, and by arranging the softening-room at the side of the cooling-and drying tunnel and pushing'the cars into the room by hand they can be taken out at will.

The cold and hot air circuit is-as follows: The cold air is supplied through the coolingroom, the dischargeend of the cooling-rooml being open at all times for such purpose. The air is Vdrawn up by the fan and discharged into the heating-chamber around the hot-air pipes through the inlet-openings 2 into the drying-room andexhausted through the pipes 3 into the discharge-pipe 4, thence to the atmosphere. It. will be understood that the cold air contacting with the heating-pipes in the heating-chamber will become heated and when forced in the drying-room will, in con- Iection with the heating-chamber surrounding the drying-room, properly dry the tobacco or other substance carried by the cars.v

It is thought the many advantages of my improved plant for drying and cooling tobacco or other substances, particularly the saving of time in connection with the softening of the tobacco, as well as the novel means for transferring'the cars to and from. the main track, can be readily understood from the foregoing description, taken `in connection with the accompanying drawings, and it will also be noted that various minor changes IDO IIO

may be made in the details of construction Without departing from the general spirit of my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a plant for drying and cooling tobacco or other substances, drying and cooling tunnels, a main track extending therethrough, auxiliary tracks,cars traveling on said tracks, a traveling cage for transferring the cars from the auxiliary to the main track and forming a closure for one end of the dryingtunnel when the cars are passed therein from the cage, and means for transferring the cars from the main to the auxiliary tracks.

2. In a plant for drying and cooling tobacco or other substances, drying and cooling tunnels, a main track extending therethrough, auxiliary tracks, cars traveling on said tracks, a traveling cage for transferring the cars from the auxiliary to the main track and forming a closure for one end of the dryingtunnel when the cars are passed therein from the cage, means for transferring the cars from the main to the auxiliary tracks, and means engaging said cars for propelling the same upon the main track.

3. In a plant for drying and cooling tobacco or other substances, a drying-tunnel, a cooling-tunnel, a main track extending through said tunnels, cars traveling upon said track, means engaging with said cars for propelling the same, and a traveling cage for transferring said cars to said track and forming a closure for one end of the drying-tunnel when the cars are passed therein from the cage.

4. In a plant for drying and cooling tobacco or other substance, a drying-tunnel having hot-air inlets in its side, outlets in its top and surrounded at its top and sides by a heatingchamber, a cooling-tunnel, a track extending through said tunnels, cars traveling upon said track, means for propelling said cars, means for transferring the cars to said track, and means for transferring the cars from said track.

5. In a plant for drying and cooling tobacco, or other substance, cooling and drying tunnels, cars traveling therethrough, a traveling cage for transferring the cars to the dryingtunnel and forming a closure for one end of the drying-tunnel when the cars are passed therein from the cage, and a truck for trafnsferring the cars from the cooling-tunnel.

6. In a plant fordrying and cooling tobacco, or other substance, a drying-tunnel surrounded at its top and sides by a heating-chamber and provided in its side with air-inlets and at its top With outlets, a cooling-tunnel cornmunicating with said heating-chamber, cars traveling through said tunnels, a traveling cage for transferring the cars to said dryingtunnel, and a truck for transferring the cars from said cooling-room.

7. In a plant for'drying and cooling tobacco, or other substance, cooling and drying tunnels, cars traveling therethrough upon a suit-r able track, means for propelling said cars, a traveling cage for transferring the cars to said track and forming a closure for said dryingtunnel when the cars are transferred therein from the cage, and a truck for transferring the cars from said track.

8. In a plant for drying and cooling tobacco, or other substances, cooling and drying tunnels, a drive-shaft arranged at one side thereof, Worin-screws carried by said shaft, cars traveling through said tunnels upon a suitable track and propelled by said Worin-screws, a traveling cage for transferring the cars to said track, and a truck for transferring the cars from said track.

9. In a plant for drying and cooling tobacco or othersubstances,adrying-tunnelsurrounded at its top and sides by a heating-chamber and having air inlets and outlets, a series of heating-pipes arranged in said chamber, a cooling-tunnel in communication with said chamber, cars traveling through said tunnels upon a suitable track, means for propelling said cars, a traveling means for transferring the cars to said track, and a truck for transferring the cars from said track.

l0. In a plant for drying and cooling tobacco, or other substances, a drying-tunnel surrounded at its top and sides by a heatingchamber and provided with air inlets and outlets, a discharge-pipe connected to said outlets, a series of heating-pipes arranged in said chamber, a cooling-tunnel, a conduit establishing communication between said coolingtunnel and chamber, cars traveling through said tunnels upon a suitable track, means for propelling said cars, a traveling means for transferring the cars to said track, and means for transferring the cars from said track.

ll. In a plant for drying and cooling tobacco, or other substance, a drying-tunnel surrounded at its top and sides by a heatingcha1nber,l1eatingpipes arranged in the latter, a cooling-tunnel, a conduit` for establishing communication between said cooling-tunnel and chamber, a vestibule interposed between said tunnels and having its top forming the bottom of the conduit, a suction means mounted upon the top of said vestibule Within the conduit, cars traveling through said vestibule and tunnels upon a suitable track, and means for propelling said cars.

l2. In a plant for drying and cooling tobacco, or other substances, a drying-tunnel partly surrounded by a heating'- chamber, a coolingtunnel in communication with said chamber, a vestibule interposed between said tunnels, cars traveling th rough said vestibule and tunnels upon a suitable track, and means engaging the said cars for suitably propelling the same.

13. In a plant for drying and cooling tobacco, or other substances, a dryingtunnel partly surrounded bya heatingchamber,heat ing-pipes arranged in said chamber,a coolingtunnel in communication with said chamber,

IIO

a vestibule interposed between said tunnels, a suction-fan mounted upon said vestibule, cars traveling through said tunnels on a suitable track, means engaging said cars for pro'- pelling the same, and means for transferring the cars to said track.

14. In a plant for drying and cooling tobacco, or other substances, a drying tunnel partly surrounded by a heating-chamber and provided with air inlets and outlets, a discharge-pipe above said drying-tunnel and in communication with said outlets and the atmosphere, heating-pipes arranged Within said chamber, doors at each end of said tunnel, a cooling-tunnel in communication with said chamber, and a vestibule interposed between said tunnels.

15. In a plant for drying and cooling tobacco, or other substances, drying and cooling tunnels, a vestibule interposed between the same, cars containing the material to be dried and cooled traveling through said tunnels and vestibule, operating means projecting in said tunnels and vestibule and engaging the cars for propelling the sanne, a traveling cage for transferring the cars containing the material to be dried and cooled and provided With an open end, a front and a pair of side walls, one of said side walls having an opening to permit of the voperating means for the cars toproject therethrough, so that the cars within the cage can be propelled therefrom into the drying-tunnel,said cage adapted to transfer the cars to the drying-tunnel and further adapted to aline with the entrance of the said tunnel to form a closure therefor for preventing the escape of hot air from the said tunnel when the cars are transferred by the operating means from the cage to the dryingtunnel, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

VHITLEY E. MARTIN.

Witnesses:

W. T. SPAUGH, FRED SHEETZ. 

